50 Percent of High Schoolers Report Being Bullied; 50 Percent Report Being Bullies

In a survey of over 43,000 high school students done by the Los Angeles-based Josephson Institute of Ethics, 43 percent said they had been physically abused, teased or taunted in a way that seriously upset them and 50 percent admitted to being the bully.

The survey also found 10 percent of teens admitted bringing a weapon to school at least once, and 16 percent admitted being drunk at school.

These results aren't really that surprising. But what it makes me wonder is if it is 50 percent of the population bullying another 50 percent of the population, or if the numbers overlap much more.

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More likely, many of the students find themselves in a cycle of being both bullied and bully, victim and abuser, which is often the case with abuse. When people feel underpowered, they tend to take it out on someone they consider to be weaker than themselves.

But the bigger question I have is what is the responsibility of these schools? Especially with kids who are bullied for being gay, on racial lines, sexuality or anything else that makes them "different." Our schools are public, which means everyone has a right to a fair education.

If the schools are not protecting the students, they are denying them that right. I can tell you right now, if my child was bullied and the school failed to protect them I would go after them, not the bullies, for denying my child their rights. But that's just me.